Singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus recently announced a $10,000 donation initiative to support individuals seeking transgender medical procedures. This move appears to be a reaction to President Trump's recent executive order concerning gender and transgender individuals within the federal government.
Dacus, a member of the acclaimed indie rock group "boygenius," invited transgender individuals on social media platform X to share links to their crowdfunding campaigns for surgical procedures. She committed to donating $500 to each person, up to a total of $10,000. "The government will never be the source of our validation or protection, we have to do it ourselves," Dacus stated, suggesting the donations are a form of protest.
President Trump's executive order, "Defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government," asserts the U.S. government's recognition of two sexes, male and female, based on biological distinctions. The order outlines how federal agencies should interpret and implement these guidelines.
The executive order has drawn criticism from organizations like the ACLU, with lawyer Chase Strangio arguing that it increases the risks faced by transgender individuals. Dacus's post quickly gained traction online, accumulating over a million views and numerous comments from individuals sharing their fundraising links. Responses ranged from requests to cover existing medical debt to supporting upcoming procedures.
Dacus, who publicly identified as queer in 2016, has a history of LGBTQ+ advocacy, both individually and with her bandmates Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker. "boygenius" is known for their music exploring LGBTQ+ themes and has a significant LGBTQ+ following. Their past actions include on-stage protests against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and performing in drag to challenge restrictive laws.
